Official Charts Pop Gem #69: Louise – Naked

Every week we put a shout-out for your Pop Gem nominations, those tunes that are overlooked or, despite being massive back in the day, don’t get as much attention as they deserve.

This week’s theme was SAUCY. We were looking for songs that had a cheeky, naughty side or were a little bity sexy. Generally, if it was a bit risqué or related to 'getting romantic', as our mums would say, it was in with a shot.

Picking a winner was super-tough, especially when you see what a stellar shortlist we had to pick from.

In the end, however, one song does have to be picked, and when it came to a saucy Pop Gem that never strayed into sleazy, we could think of no song better than Louise’s Naked – when the former Eternal star really got her thing going on.

Watch the video for Naked before we explain why Louise had to be the one!

Why it had to be Louise

As one quarter of Eternal, Louise was the girl everyone wanted to get to know. Girls wanted to be her mate and find out where she got her earrings (possibly) and guys wanted to take her out for a few glasses of vino collapso in the local wine bar.

Likeable Louise had a fond fan following as a solo star too, and she’s a popstar name that comes up again and again in Pop Gem suggestions. And although Louise has appeared on a Pop Gem before, as part of Eternal on the amazing Crazy, demand for a solo honour has been pretty high. It’s time for a much-missed popstar to get the attention they deserve. Louise, let’s go round again!

The song

OK, so the song’s called Naked and it is basically about, well, let’s say being intensely physically attracted to somebody, but it’s no sleazefest. Louise stays just the right side of raunchy in this track – you wouldn’t be too embarrassed watching the video in front of your grandma. Naked was the third single off the album of the same name, Louise’s debut release since leaving Eternal. Selling over 150,000 copies, Naked was Louise’s second Top 10, peaking at Number 5 in summer 1996. 1996!

Naked has some of the sauciest lyrics you’ll find on the Official Singles Chart, but you don’t have to cover your ears – it’s all in the suggestion.

Louise’s chart story

In just a year of chart success with Eternal, Louise scored six Top 40 singles, with four going Top 10. Her biggest successes were debut single Stay and Oh Baby I… which both peaked at Number 4. Louise also has a Number 2 album under her belt – Always And Forever was Eternal’s first album.

When she went it alone, Louise scored 12 Top 40 hits, with nine of them making it to the Top 10. Her highest charting solo single was 2000’s 2 Faced (featuring the most amazing talking intro ever – “Hi Louise!!”) which reached Number 3.

Louise’s biggest selling single was Let’s Go Round Again, a Number 10 hit in 1997, with over 180,000 copies sold. She last released a single way back in 2003 – the really very good Pandora’s Kiss was a Number 5 hit in September that year.

Over on the Official Albums Chart, Louise had all four releases go Top 40, with three going Top 10: 1996’s Naked (7); 1997’s Woman In Me (5), 2000’s Elbow Beach (12) and a Best Of in 2001 called Changing Faces (9).

Plenty of decent tunes, a killer saucy single – Louise, welcome to the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame! We’ve been expecting you…

Did you know Louise's second single In Walked Love was a cover? Find out the full story and check out some other hit tracks you might nort have known were originally sung by someone else.

Video playlist

See all the tracks Louise saw off to be our ultimate saucy anthem.

Every Pop Gem ever

Fancy reliving those perfect Pop Gems we already picked all over again? No worries, get your ears wrapped round these playlists on Deezer and Spotify. SLAY.

Deezer



Spotify

Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Today's Pop Gem is the latest in a long line of amazing pop songs that have been inducted into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame. Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

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